Sheet feeder



June 24, 1930. A. BROADMEYER SHEET FEEDER Filed April 15, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet V I Jwuwntoo weiifiroad'mger: E

June 24, 1930 A. BROADMEYER SHEET FEEDER 6 sheets-sheet 2 Filed April 13, 1928 aRouw q June 24, 1930. A. BROADMEYER SHEET FEEDER 6 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 15, 1928 June 24, 1930. BRQADMEYER 1,766,482

SHEET FEEDER Filed April 13, 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 gwumwtot' June 24, 1930. A BROADMEYER 1,766,482

' SHEET- FEEDER Filed April 13,1928 r e Sheets-Sheet '5 zjwuento June 24, 1930. A." BRO AD MEYER A SHEET FEEDER Filed April 13, 1928 6 Sheets-:Sheei 6 I f Q Patented June 24, lhlid ALBERT BRGADE-IEYER. OF HAEEESBURG, PEIIHSYLVANIA, ASEIGNOR TO W. O. HIGKOK IMANUFACTURING COMFANY, F I-LLRBISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA SHEET FEEDER Application filed April 13,1928. Serial No. 269,737.

The present invention relates to means for feeding sheets, and in its preferred embodiment is for (lelivering sheets from a pile.

The object is to provide mechanism of a simple, compact andcttective nature for delivering the sheets successively, and materially lessening the danger of two or more sheets being fed simultancously.

The preferred emhodiment of the inven tion is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the feeder.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view through the suction head.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 41-.

Figure 6 is a rear side elevation of the suction head and conduit connected thereto.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the detent finger for buckling the sheets.

Figure 8 is a detail side elevation of the cam mechanism and associated parts.

Figure 9 is a view of the same at right angles to that shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a detail view showing the operating mechanism for the suction head supporting means.

Figure 11 is a similarview of the actuating means for oscillating the suction head.

Figure 12 is a similar view of the valve actuating means.

Figure 13 is a similar view of the detent and feeler actuating means.

Figure 1a is a similar view of the means for raising and lowering the idler presser rollers.

Figures 15-19 inclusive are detail views.

indicating the various the feeder head. g

In the embodiment disclosed, a supporting frame is provided,comprising a base 20, having standards 21 and overhanging heads 22. .Between the base the heads are vertical guide standards on which are slidably mounted sleeves 2 1 carrying oppositely outstanding arms 25. On these arms is a table 26 that supports the pile of positions assumed by sheet-s, shown in certain of the views, at 27.

To the overhanging heads 22 are secured brackets 28 provided with journal boxes 29, in which shaft-s 30 are rotatably mounted. These shafts carry sprocket wheels 31 over which pass sprocket chains -32 secured to the sleeves 24:, and preferably provided on their outer free ends with couuterweights 33. The shafts 3O furthermore are provided with worm wheels in mesh with worms 35 carried by a cross shaft 16. Mounted on the front end of said cross shaft 36is a ratchet wheel 37 and 'journaled on said shaft 36 alongside the ratchet wheel'is an unbalanced pawl carrier 38. A pawl 59, pivoted on the upper end of the pawl carrier, cooperates with the teeth of the ratchet wheel; The lower end of this pawl carrier is provided with a pin a0 located in the slot 41-1 of a pitman 4-2 that terminates in a strap 43 surrounding an eccentric 44. i he eccentric is carried by a drive shaft journaled in the front side of the frame.

The pawl carrier 38 has a stop shoulder 46 on its rear side, and this stop shoulder is adap'ed to be engaged by the upper end of a swinging detent 17 pivoted between its ends, as shown at 18 and having an extensible link connection. 49 with the lower end of an actuating crank arm 50 carried by a rock shaft 51. The rock shaft 51 extends across the frame. above the table 26, and has adjustably mounted on it an arm 52 terminating in a feeler roller 53 that overlies the rear margin of the table 26. The

drive shaft is provided with a cam 54s fixed thereto, and resting against said cam is a roller 55 carried by an arm 56 secured to the rock shaft 51. Obviously therefore on'each rotation of the drive shaft 45, the shaft 51 is rocked, thereby first raising the feeler 5Z3, withdrawing.the detent 4:7 from a position beneath the stop shoulder 46 and thereafter lowering the feeler 53 and returning the detent .7.

Extending across the frame is another roclrsl'iaft 57 having fixed thereto spaced rearwardly extending crank arms 58. In these crank arms is journaled a third rock shaft 59 that has fixed thereto but adjustable along the same, an oscillatory suction head 60. A cam 01, fixed to the drive shaft 45, has riding on its periphery a roller (32 car ried by the end of a crank arm 63 fixed to the rock shaft 57. Obviously therefore as the shaft rotates the arms 03 will swing back and forth, thereby rocking the shaft 57 and raising and lowering the rock shaft 59 and the suction head (30.

The suction head 60 is arcuate in feri with a curved active face (3%, through which, as shown in Figures 4:, 5 and 6, extend sets or rows of inlet ports 65, each row or set leading to a transverse passageway 66 that opens through one end face of the head. Yieldingly held against said end face by a spring 67 is an elbow 68, one end of which is journaled on the shaft 59, as shown at 09, the other end being carried by the rock shaft, as shown at T0. in this elbow is a passageway 71 having an inlet port 72 surrounded by a packing gasket 73 and adapted to communicate with the successive passageways 66 as the suction head is swung or oscillated. The passageway 71 terminates in a nipple 74, to which is connected a flexible hose pipe 75 that leads to suitable means for creating suction, as for example, the inlet side of a pump.

The rock shaft 59, to which the suction head 60 is fixed, is provided at one end with a crank arm 76, and the free end of said crank arm is connected by a swinging link 77 to an actuating arm 78 journaled on the rock shaft 57. This arm 78 carries a roller 79 that operates on the periphery of a cam 80 fixed to the drive shaft 45.

In the suction hose line 75 is a valve casing 81 containing a rcciprocatory plunger alve 82 provided with a reduced portion 83 and a relief port 84. The valve 82 is connected by a link 85 with the lower end of a lever 86 fulcrumed between its ends, as shown at 87, the upper end of the lever having a roller 88 that rices on the periphery of a cam 89 fixed to the shaft 45.

Extending from the rear end of the frame is a supporting frame 90 forming part of a conveyor and guide. This conveyor includes a front roller 91, a rear roller 92 and tapes 93' that pass about said rollers. The conveyor is driven by suitable means connected to a sprocket wheel or gear wheel 94 fastened to the rear end of the roller 91. At the rear of the table 26 arevertical guide bars 95 and from the upper ends of said guide bars extend guides 95 that terminate over the roller 91. Over these guides 96 is located a transverse rock shaft 97, to which are fixed crank arms 98 carrying a shaft 99 on which are adjustably mounted idler presser rollers 100 that are adapted to rest upon the roller 91. The rock shaft 97 is provided with a rearwardly extending actuating arm 10f, on the free end of which is located a roller 102 that rides on the periphery of a cam 103 fixed to the drive shaft L5.

Mounted on the upper end of one of the central guide bars 95 is a detent or sheet buckling finger 104i. \Vhile this may be made in various ways the preferred form of structure is shown in Figure 7. It com prises a wire formed into a loop 105 and a forwardly extending finger 106 formed by an open reverse loop. Throughthe loop 105 is passed a fastener 10? that permits the adjustment of the finger forwardly or rearwardly. This finger is preferably located directly adjacent to the suction head 60.

The operation of the mechanism is substantially as follows: Assuming the apparatus in operation and the drive shaft 45 constantly rotated. Vlith the top of the pile of sheets 27 at the desired elevation, the various can s above described and shown in detail in Figures 10-14 cause the following movements and operations in substantially the sequence given. With the suction head 60 elevated and the suction through the conduit 75 cut off to said suction head by the valve 82 being in its closed position, the cam 61 moves to a position to permit the suction head to lower on to the uppermost sheet of the pile, thereupon the am 89 moves to a position to open the valve 82 and suction will be created through the lowermost inlet ports 65. The sheet is thereby drawn against the lowermost portion of the peripheral face 6% of the suction head. The cam 61 now has moved to aposition to raise the suction head, carrying the attached rear end of the sheet with it. The rear edge of the sheet is, however, under the detent or buckling finger 106, as a consequence of which said rear end is drawn around the finger 106 and the sheet is caused to buckle or bend, thereby breaking it away from the underlying sheet and mate rially lessening the danger of said underlyin sheet being raised with it. When the attached sheet is thus elevated above the finger, the suction head ('30 begins to rotate rearwardly by reason of the cam 80 acting on the arm 78, and thus through the link 77 and crank arm 76, turning the rock shaft '59, to which the suction head 60 is attached. The sheet is thus fed rearwardly; During this movement the cam 103 operates on the arm 101, thus turning the rock shaft and raising the prosser rollers 100 away from the con veyor roller 91, leaving an open space into which the rear end of the sheet enters on to the conveyor tapes. The suction head 60, having completed its turning movement, the cam 89 operates to again close the valve 82, cutt ng off suction from the suction head, and cam 103 turns to permit the rollers 100 to drop upon the she-ct. which is now on the conveyor roller 91. Said sheet is thus drawn (inwardly by the conveyor and off of the pile. The mechanism is now in the initial condition above described, and the operation is repeated.

During these movements, the cam 54- is constantly rotating, allowing the feeler 53 to periodically drop on the top of the pile of sheets and alternately raising the same therefrom as a sheet is fed from the top. As long as the top is at the desired height and the feeler has a very restricted movement, it will not allow a suliicicnt movement of the rock shaft 51, the crank arm 50, the link l9 and the detent 47 to move from under the stop shoulder 46 of the pawl carrier, and consequently said pawl is not allowed to gravitate sutliciently to carry the pawl 39 over a tooth of the ratchet wheel 37, but as the top of the pile lowers due to the removal of the sheets therefrom, the feeler drops farther and farther downwardly until finally the detent 4-7 is out of the path of the shoulder 46. Therefore as the eccentric 44 rotates and the link 42 moves forwardly, the pawl carrier is permitted to have a suliiciently free movement to carry the pawl behind one or more of. the teeth of. the said ratchet wheel, and 011 the return movement of the link 4-2 under the action of the eccentric 44, the pawl carrier is positively moved in the opposite direction, thus turning the wheel and elevating the table. This movement continues until the feeler 53 is prevented from dropping and the detent l? is again placed under the stop shoulder 46.

From the foregoing, it thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

hat I claim, is:

1. In a sheet feeder, the combination with a support for the sheets, of a rock shaft thereon, crank arms carried by the rock shaft, a second rock shaft journaled on the crank arms, an oscillatory suction head carried by the second rock shaft, a drive shaft having cam mechanism, an actuating arm fixed to the first rock shaft and operated by the cam mechanism, a crank arm on the second rock shaft, an actuating arm journaled on the first rock shaft and connected to the crank arm of the second rock shaft, and means for swinging the actuating arm from the cam mechanism.

2. In a sheetfeeder, the combination with a pile supporting table, of a rock shaft journaled above the same and having crank arms, a second rock shaft journaled in the crank arms. an oscillatory suction head mounted. on the second rock shaft, a crank arm fixed to the first rock shaft, an actuating arm ment, the operation of the valve fixed to the second rock shaft, an actuating arm journaled on the first rock shaft and pivotally connected to the crank arm of the second rock shaft, a drive shaft,and cams carried by the drive shaft and operating on the actuating arms.

3. In a sheet feeder, the combination with a support for the sheets, of an oscillatory suction head thereover, means for raising and lowering the head and causing its os-' eillatory movement, a suction conduit con- .ected to the suction head, a valve in said conduit, and means for opening the conduit when the head is lowered, holding it open during the elevation of the head and during its movement in one direction and thereafter closing said valve and holding it closed during the movement of the head in the opposite direction.

l. In a sheet feeder, the combination with a pile supporting table, of a rock shaft journaled above the same and having crank arms, a second rock shaft journaled in -the crank arms, an oscillatory suction head mounted on the second rock shaft, a crank arm fixed to the first rock shaft, an actuating arm fixed to the second rock shaft, an actuating arm jonrnaled on the first rock shaft and pivotally connected to thecrank arm of the second rock shaft, a conduit connected to the suction head, a controlling valve in the con duit, a drive shaft, and cams carried by the drive shaft and operating the actuating arms and the valve in timed relation.

5. In a sheet feeder, the combination with a pile supporting table, of a roller suction head movable toward and from the pile, and having a swinging movement on a pivot axis that moves with the head toward and from the pile, a suction conduit connected to the head and having a controlling valve, a conveyor for receiving the sheets fed by the head, an idler presser roller movable toward and from the conveyor, and driving mechanism including cams that effect, the

raising and lowering of the suction head and its swinging movement, the operation of the valve and the said movement of the presser roller in timed relation.

6. In a sheet feeder, the combination with a pile supporting table, of a roller suction head movable toward and having a swinging movement on a pivot axis that moves with the head toward and from a the pile, a suction conduit connected to the head and having a controlling valve, a conveyor for receiving the sheets fed by the head, an idler'presser roller movabletoward and from the conveyor, a driving shaft, and cams fixed to the shaft in predetermined relation to effect the raising and lowering of the suction head and its swinging moveand the said from the pile and movement of the presser roller in timed relation.

ill)

7. In a sheet feeder, the combination with a pile supporting table, of a rock shafthaving crank a-rn'is, a second rock shaft journaled on the crank arms, an oscillatory suction head carried by the second rock shaft, a suction conduit connected to the suction head, a valve in the suction conduit, a driving shaft, cams on the driving shaft, and arms operated by the cams and actuating the various rock shafts and the valve in timed relation.

8. In a sheet feeder, the combination with a pile supporting table, of a rock shaft having crank arms, a second rock shaft journaled on the crank arms, an oscillatory suction head carried by the second rock shaft, a suction conduit connected to the suction head, a valve in the suction conduit, a coneyor for receiving the sheets fed by the suction head, a rock shaft, an idler roller carried by the rock shaft and movable thereby into and out of coaction with the conveyor, a driving shaft, cams on the driving shaft, and arms operated by the cams and actuating the various rock shafts and the valve in timed relation.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALBERT BROADMEYER. 

